Well Deserved Break
by Skinfull
Summary: If Mulder went to College in England then he probably played a couple of games of rugby... :) COMPLETE
1. Default Chapter

**Author's notes**: I've played many games of rugby and through the years I managed to break several ribs, bones, toes, fingers and knees Anyhoo Lisa says I should use my recent hospitalisation for the good of the MT world and stick Mulder into the middle of a ruck and lets see how he makes out!  
  
The **RUCK**, the **MAUL**, **STAMPING**, **LINE OUT**, **SCRUM**...are all legitimate rugby plays/moves. For more information you can go to or or or...sheesh I dunno them all! Go to google and type in your country and Rugby...you can't go wrong!  
  
_**Well Deserved Break** _

_**By Skinfull**  
  
_**Marty's Deli **

**Washington DC **

**11 July 2001 12.45 PM  
**  
Mulder stood in the queue anxiously fingering the change in his pocket. The sandwiches he held would cost him five dollars and the drinks another four, but whether he'd have enough to surprise her with a muffin he wasn't sure. Finally the person in front of him moved away and he stepped up to the counter, dropping the two salad sandwiches down.  
  
"Can I get two OJ's as well please?" he asked pulling the cash out to count in the palm of his hand.  
  
The young server turned to the fridge and grabbed two bottles of orange juice quickly ringing it up on the small till.  
  
"Eight sixty please," she said with a grim expression.  
  
"And a muffin too," he added gladly, seeing he had enough money.  
  
The server grunted as she stepped over to the display counter and pulled a blueberry muffin out with a pair of tongs. She placed it uncaringly into a small brown paper bag and left it beside the rest of his order.  
  
"Will that be all sir?" she asked gruffly, not meeting his eyes as she added the price of his muffin to the till.  
  
"Yes thanks."  
  
"Nine eighty."  
  
Mulder counted out the right change and passed it into her waiting hand. She gave him a dirty look at the sight of the mixed coins she'd have to count, but he just smiled back at her placing the food into a bag.  
  
"Have a nice day," he said as he turned to walk out but she mumbled a reply he didn't quite hear and he was almost sure she called him a pleb.  
  
The midday sun was beating down with a ferocity he didn't often see. Usually being cooped down in the basement, they caught a few rays of delinquent light in the evening but not today. Today he smiled as he strolled easily down the sidewalk in the midmorning sun to the grey non descript car that was parked across from the National bank.  
  
From this short distance he could make Scully out, her head lolling back against the rest and the windows rolled down fully letting the warm breeze gently caress her features. Her red locks had blown into her face but she seemed content enough to let them lie there. It hadn't been too hard to bargain with Agent Wicker to let them in on the stakeout. The sun was smiling down at them for once, only not through the dismal excuse they had for windows, and all because he pulled a few strings, sold a few game tickets and made a few promises.  
  
Carefully he sat in the car not wanting to wake her, but as soon as he closed the door her head whipped around in surprise.  
  
"Did I miss anything?" he asked with a smile as she fixed her hair and eyed the brown bag he held on his lap.  
  
"No. Security is still up."  
  
"Hungry?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
He reached into the bag and pulled out a sandwich for her and an ice- cold bottle of juice. Setting his own lunch on the dashboard he turned to her with a wicked smile.  
  
"What is it Mulder?" she eyed her food suspiciously. "What did you do to my lunch?"  
  
"Nothing but I got you a surprise."  
  
"What?" a straightforward smile curved her lips and she couldn't help the small gurgle of excitement that bubbled within her.  
  
Diving into the bag again he rummaged around for a moment and she knew it was purely for show. Whatever it was he was about to pull out, she knew he was simply trying to prolong the suspense.  
  
"Ta daa!" he exclaimed displaying the muffin on the tips of his fingers and thumb, balancing it carefully and presenting it to her as if it were a treasure. She laughed in delight at his gesture and carefully took it from his hand.  
  
"Thanks Mulder." They started their lunch, Mulders eyes ever aware of the bank entrance as he bit into his sandwich. He sipped his juice and replaced it on the dashboard before resting back into his seat.  
  
"Beats sitting in the basement eh Scully?"  
  
"Yes it does. Look at the sun, I haven't seen it in weeks!"  
  
"Oh come on the weather wasn't that bad in Colorado."  
  
She seemed to take a moment to think about his statement but slowly she started to shake her head.  
  
"Mulder it was freezing." It was a plain simple sentence that left no room for argument and he had to agree. "How did you land this anyway?"  
  
"I talked to Gerry yesterday...you know Gerry Wicker?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"He mentioned this new case they were working on. A firm has opened up claiming to have uncrackable safes. They install the security system and test it, but then while the bank thinks it's money is safe in the vault they pull the old switch-a-roo."  
  
"Switch-a-roo?" she repeated with another smile.  
  
"Good money gone...bad money left. Marked money. Cash whose serial numbers have been recorded from lost ransom fines and stuff."  
  
"So the security team just walk out with the cash, leaving the wrong notes behind?" She finished her juice and placed it into the empty paper bag.  
  
"Yeah. Gerry said that this bank and the one on 4th are scheduled for installation today. All we have to do is hang around and search them when they leave."  
  
"We should be able to manage that." She settled back into her chair stretching her legs in front of her and Mulder noticed she'd taken her shoes off.  
  
"I thought you'd like this case."  
  
"No ghostly bank robbers?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"No extreme possibilities?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"No problem." She smiled widely and pulled a piece off her muffin to eat. He glanced over at her and watched her delicate movements.  
  
Crumbs fell onto her top rolling partially down her chest but she didn't seem to realise or care. "Want some?" she held it out in front of him.  
  
"Thought you'd never ask." His voice held a lilt she recognised as his teasing tone, but she refused to rise to his bait as he took off a piece and ate it quickly.  
  
"So why did you ask for this case?"  
  
"I thought you could do with the down time after the goose chase in Colorado."  
  
"Me?" she said loudly sitting up and letting the crumbs fall to her lap. "I wasn't the one who got arrested and spent two nights in jail. I wasn't the one who blamed the mayor for denying the ghost train existed?"  
  
"Yeah I know but he was ignoring the facts."  
  
"What facts?" Her voice had taken on a new level, her blueberry muffin forgotten in her hand, as she turned to face him more.  
  
"The train tracks."  
  
"Mulder they weren't train tracks, they were from a horse and carriage..."  
  
"Well they looked like train tracks." He said indignantly waving his eyebrows a little and she knew then that he was distracting her, moving her away from her initial question.  
  
"So tell me why we're really here."  
  
"Really Scully? I saw what a beautiful day it was, I spoke to Gerry and I snapped up the opportunity..."  
  
"That easy?"  
  
"Well I had to pull a few strings and make a few deals but it's worth it!" He gestured at the sights around him of half clad young women displaying as much skin as was decent in the warm sun.  
  
"What strings?" She sat back and settled down again biting into her muffin.  
  
"I sold some game tickets."  
  
"What game?"  
  
"Wizards and Celtics. And I agreed to play a game..." his voice trailed off to incomprehensible words.  
  
"What Mulder? What did you agree to?"  
  
"I agreed to play a game of rugby...next weekend for the UCR department."  
  
"Rugby? Can you play rugby?" she said laughing around her muffin.  
  
"I used to play in Oxford." He pretended offence at her laughter and squared his shoulders. "I'll have you know I was quite good."  
  
"Yeah?" Her laughter died and she turned to him smiling. "I thought basketball was your game?"  
  
"Yeah well it wasn't too big in England. And when in Rome..."  
  
"You just keep surprising me Mulder!"  
  
"Wait till you see me play. Then you'll be surprised."  
  
"I don't doubt it."  
  
He glanced sideways at her, not sure how to take her last remark but before he could say anything further a movement from across the street caught his eye. Four men carrying large duffel bags exited the bank and headed towards a large white van.  
  
"Lets go." Mulder jumped out of the car and made his way quickly across the street, pulling his badge out of his pocket.

_Cant help posting...I'm in a posting frenzy..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Basement FBI Office **

**17 July 2001 4.30 PM**  
  
Dana Scully stretched her arms high above her head and leaned back on the chair as far as she dared. The kinks in her neck from sitting at the PC all day were rapidly turning from annoying to painful and she yearned for a hot bath. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was half past and risked a quick peek at her partner who had been studying his PC monitor all day too. Mulder frowned at the information in front of him and sighed, not for the first time that day.  
  
"Did you get Skinner's report finished?" she asked rolling her chair back and letting her hands drop onto her lap with a heavy slap.  
  
"Skinners report? Eh no. Did you?"  
  
"Mulder, I was working on the autopsy all morning. What have you been looking at anyway?"  
  
She pushed herself off the chair and walked around to his desk. With one hand on his shoulder and the other resting beside his keyboard she looked down at the photos that were on his screen.  
  
"What's this?" she asked looking closer to see a sports team posing and various actions in game pictures.  
  
"See those legs?" he pointed to one photo of a pile up of men lying on top of each other. The legs he asked her about were barely visible and sticking out from the bottom of the pile.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"They are mine."  
  
"You're legs?" she said incredulously.  
  
"I told you I was on the rugby team."  
  
"How did you get these photos?"  
  
"I went to the Oxford University web site and made a few calls. The team secretary emailed them to me this morning,"  
  
She leaned in closer to the screen to get a better view, turning her head to the side as most of the pictures were of mid air collisions and jumps.  
  
"Didn't that hurt?"  
  
"No. It's a ruck. All part of the game."  
  
"A ruck?" He laughed at her sceptical face and sat back into his chair. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?" she asked sitting on the corner of the desk and facing him with a mischievous smile.  
  
"Nervous? No." He turned off the PC and stood up from his chair trying to ignore the loud crack from his knee. "More like terrified."  
  
"Why don't you pull out?" At her desk now, she gathered her things and put them into her case.  
  
"I can't. I made a deal with Gerry. And besides I'll have my own personal physician on the sidelines, wont I?"  
  
"Oh yeah Mulder, I wouldn't miss this for the world."  
  
She slipped on her coat and walked out the door with him. Continuing to walk as he locked the door behind them he had to jog a little to catch up with her.  
  
"You never know my show of male sporting prowess might turn you on!"  
  
"More like your show of male sporting injuries will keep me busy."  
  
She chortled as they stepped out onto the garage floor. Standing at the door to her car she afforded him another glance as he climbed into his own car. He pulled out of the parking space deftly and drove over to where she stood. His window was down and he was leaning out towards her.  
  
"Coming over for dinner G Woman?"  
  
"I got stuff to do Mulder. Like stock up on first aid supplies for tomorrow, boil some water, get clean towels!"  
  
"Supper then," he persisted.  
  
"Alright see you later."  
  
"Bring supper will you?" he yelled as he took off, leaving her no time to respond. She watched after him shaking her head. Having planned on a long soak in a steaming hot tub sipping wine she hadn't included Mulder in on the picture; at least not until she had a few glasses of wine.  
  
Regardless, she made her way home and fixed a quick toasted sandwich while the bath filled. Bubbles were shaken into the hot water and clothes were shed before she fetched her drink and sat carefully into the water.  
  
Moment passed followed by hours, and she couldn't believe it when she heard the church down the block chiming at six. Usually she was only leaving the office by now so she revelled in the lengthy soak even further. But her mind niggled on Mulder's subtle request for her company. He joked about it a lot, teasing her for always coming round when she rarely did without his invitation, but she knew better than to broach that subject.  
  
Loathing stepping out of her warm cocoon, she eventually bribed herself out with promises of rich food and wine and wrapped herself in a white terry cloth robe that almost reached her ankles. No matter how often she thought of getting rid of this robe she couldn't bring herself to do it. Having spent so long wearing it while in the hospital, comforting Penny Northern, it meant more to her than just comfort. A struggle won, a battle fought and survived. Clothing passed in and out of her wardrobe quicker than she'd like to admit, and it didn't take her long to discover that working on the X-files would destroy some of her favourite clothes, be it by bile, mud, or mushroom excretion...that one took some explaining at the laundry she mused as she dried her hair with a towel. But her robe was comforting. For all the bad memories it revived, it also instilled in her strength she rarely felt these days.  
  
Dressing with a wandering mind left her wearing a slim black skirt and a blue top that hugged her figure. She glanced in the mirror and smiled at the mismatched clothing statement. Pulling the skirt off she slipped into a pair of black slacks and grabbed her boots.  
  
In the living room she ordered food for collection from the Chinese Takeaway near Mulder's as she tied her laces. With a final glance around the room she took her keys and cell phone from the table and left.  
  
**Arlington Apartment #42 **

**17 July 2001 6.25 PM  
**  
Mulder sat on the floor in front of his couch and spread his legs out before him. Stretching to reach his toes, he held the position for a few seconds before switching his stretch to his other foot. Letting out a deep breath as he sat back, he let his head rest on the couch seat behind him and closed his eyes. There was no denying his apprehension over the game tomorrow but it was a friendly inter departmental game, no serious players. Did Gerry say tag rugby or full contact? he mused as he slowed his heart from his run with simple breathing exercises. Surely it would be tag he thought, comforting his own worries. Full on body tackles shared between FBI agents wasn't something he'd relish.  
  
With a sigh he wondered why he let himself get talked into this again but his thoughts were disturbed by an instantly recognisable knock on the door.  
  
"Come in Scully," he called out not moving from his sprawled position in the living room. He heard the door opening and her boot clad feet coming towards him. Emitting a small groan at the effort, he turned to see her walking in. She wasn't wearing a jacket and her top was slightly untucked at the side as if she'd dressed in a hurry. Her face was red and fresh and he knew she must have had a bath. Oh yeah, he decided to himself smiling a little at the sight of her leaning down to put food on the coffee table. That's why.  
  
"What did you bring?" he asked managing to pull himself into a more flattering sitting position.  
  
"Chinese. And a couple of videos."  
  
"Movies? Which movies?" he wasn't sure if he should be excited at the thought that she would be here for longer than he expected, or wary of her choice of film. She tossed him the bag containing the tapes as she continued to pull the food out of the bag.  
  
"Necessary Roughness and Any Given Sunday" she said laughing as she pulled the food containers out of the brown bag.  
  
"So funny Scully."  
  
"Life is a contact sport Mulder!"  
  
"That's why it hurts so much."  
  
"Aww poor you."  
  
Mulder stood with an exaggerated groan and ambled into the kitchen to grab plates and forks. He held his lower back with a hand pressed against it and winced as he sat next to her on the couch.  
  
"Were you out running?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Didn't take a shower yet?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Are you too hungry to take one now?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He ignored her jibes and spooned some rice out onto his plate before topping it off with some chicken satay. She nibbled on a spring roll as he sat back and started to eat.  
  
"You know Scully," he said after swallowing the hot meat. "You should really be nicer to me."  
  
"Nicer? Why?"  
  
"This could be our last night together like this, I could be injured tomorrow! Wouldn't you be sorry then?"  
  
"Sorry? I suppose...but think of all the free time I'll have."  
  
"Free time you'll be spending weeping over my graveside."  
  
"Weeping? Or dancing?"  
  
"Oh Scully that hurt." He laughed, grasping his chest with a heavy slap over his heart. As he bit into his food again she leaned back next to him and took a piece of chicken off his plate.  
  
"If something does happen tomorrow I'll be there to look after you. I wont let you die."  
  
"Thanks," he smirked moving the plate closer to her to let her reach more of his dinner.  
  
"No problem Mulder." Tucking her leg beneath her she faced him more fully and they both ate from the same plate in silence. As the last of the rice was scooped up, Mulder put more on the plate this time covering it with sweet and sour chicken. He enjoyed them eating so closely, finding it intimate and strangely erotic. Her hand held the plate steady as she struggled to grasp the chicken with her chopsticks. He suggested she use the fork but with grim determination she managed to traverse the expanse of the plate to her mouth without dropping any.  
  
"So what position do you play?" she asked chasing another piece of meat around his plate. A multitude of sordid remarks filtered through his brain before he shook them loose and gave her a straight answer.  
  
"At Uni I played a winger but tomorrow...I have no idea."  
  
"What's the game like anyway? How exactly do you play it?"  
  
"Fifteen players on the team. The pitch is roughly the same size as a soccer pitch with try posts at the top of the final 10yds. Five points for a try, two for a conversion and three for a penalty. To score a try you need to get the ball down onto the ground in one fluid motion with at least one hand gripping the ball. You can't bounce it or anything. The ball can only be passed sideways or backwards, no forward passes." He added more food to their plate, which she tucked into. "If you drop the ball you can't touch it until an opposite team member does or else it will be a knock on...forward pass."  
  
"Sounds complicated."  
  
"All rules sound complicated when you read them out but it's easier to explain when you're watching the game."  
  
"Yeah but you'll be on the pitch...you wont be able to explain them to me."  
  
"Well listen up then!" he bit into a big chunk of chicken and chewed it behind his smile. "Okay you can kick the ball forward and race for it around the other team, that's called a Garryowen move after the rugby club that practically made it their calling card. If you catch the ball from more than 15 be 25 yards...of where it was thrown or kicked, you can call a mark and no one can tackle you before you make your move..."  
  
"Mulder, stop." She dropped her fork onto the table and rolled her head back onto the couch. "No more...I can't take any more rules!"  
  
"You're a scientist Scully, I thought you'd enjoy the rules."  
  
"I'm sure I'll pick it up as the game goes on."  
  
"Maybe you'll be too distracted by my gorgeous legs to pay attention."  
  
She glanced down at his legs that were covered only in a flimsy pair of running shorts, shaking her head with a dismayed smiled.  
  
"You know, I don't think that will be a problem."  
  
"We'll see Scully." He put one more piece of chicken into his mouth and left the plate on the table. "Set up the video I'm going to grab a quick shower."  
  
"Enjoy it Mulder, I don't think you can have showers while in traction."  
  
"Does that mean you'll need to give me bed baths?" He called from within the bathroom over the running water.  
  
"If you end up in body plaster Mulder, a bed bath will be the last thing on your mind."  
  
"You know me too well Scully...just think of all those harnesses!"  
  
She allowed herself a little laugh at his lewd remark seeing as he was in his bedroom grabbing towels from his shower, but she swallowed it quickly and put the video into the player to set it at the start of the movie. While she was waiting, she cleared up the food and grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge. She had shut off the overhead light letting the lamp provide all the illumination, and had just opened the beer when he sat down next to her. He filled the room with soap and deodorant as he moved through it and she loved the clean fresh smell he emanated. Handing him the beer she smiled, holding her bottle out for him to clink to.  
  
"Here's to a good game." The credits for Necessary Roughness started.  
  
"And staying out of hospital!" he added as if it were an after thought. They both sipped their beer and turned to the movie but Mulder found little comfort in it's scripted violence. Knowing he would be wearing little protection save for the cup in his shorts, he shuddered at the rougher tackles on the screen and had to look away twice.  
  
She seemed to notice his discomfort but he needed to see he wasn't the young man he was in Uni anymore. His body wouldn't take the beating it used to and bounce back so she left him to squirm.

_Another chapter down onlly 4 or 5 more I think..._


	3. Chapter 3

**The Park. **

**18th July 2001 11am**  
  
Mulder took his gym bag out of the boot of his car and walked around to the front where Scully stood holding a first aid bag. Looking out at the communal rugby pitch before them, he spotted Gerry standing on the edge with four other men tossing a ball between them.  
  
"Are you ready?" she asked looking out at the other players.  
  
"No. But lets go anyway."  
  
He carried his bag over his shoulder and walked towards the small group. Gerry noticed him as he got closer and walked to meet him.  
  
"Hey Mulder, you made it."  
  
"Didn't think I was gonna back out did ya Gerry?"  
  
"Well we need fifteen to play and so far we got six...Fancy a game Agent Scully?" he said looking down at the petite woman beside him.  
  
"No thanks."  
  
"We've got another hour before the game starts so we're still hopeful. Get changed and join us for a warm up. I got jerseys over here too."  
  
Gerry ran back to the group and resumed throwing the ball while Mulder and Scully walked over to the small bench by the sidelines.  
  
"Are you sure about this Mulder?"  
  
He pulled off his sweater and dropped it on top of his bag. Kicking off his trainers, he peeled down his sweats to reveal a pair of shorts that were made of a stiff almost like denim material that just about covered his modesty and clung to his muscled thighs. From his bag he pulled out a pair of knee high thick socks and sat onto the bench to slip them onto his bare feet. "I'm looking forward to it actually." His socks were pulled on tight and Scully noticed that they seemed to have padded soles. He took his studs out of the bag and jabbed his feet in firmly tying the laces tight, wrapping them under the folded tongue to keep them from loosening. "I really enjoyed the game at Uni and I think I'm going to enjoy it today."  
  
"And I'm going to enjoy visiting you in hospital and feeding you liquidised food for the next three months because your body is in traction and your jaw is wired shut."  
  
"Don't worry Scully, you can give me those bed baths we spoke about last night!"  
  
Standing up he took his tee shirt off over his head and she was rather pleased to see he was wearing some protection under his shorts as the seam of his jock strap stuck out above the shorts cuff. She couldn't help but notice the expanse of his bare chest as he stood directly in front of her but she held back the comment that sprang to her lips about shirts and skins.  
  
Flexing his shoulders by stretching his arms over his head he ambled over to Gerry who gave him an upper chest support and a jersey. Mulder pulled on the support first, running his finger beneath the rim to make it as comfortable as he could. He rotated his shoulders again, swinging his arms around to loosen the material before donning his jersey. It had a white ruffled collar and a green background, but had a blue stripe that was about 10cm wide running around the middle of his chest. On the back Scully noticed the number 11 and she wondered briefly what position it corresponded to.  
  
Joining the circle of players, Mulder passed the ball too and soon there were four balls being thrown in the small group with running exercises and stretching going on too. They seemed to be getting worked up and shouting at each other but Scully knew it was all part of the hype to getting psyched up for the game.  
  
After half an hour other men had joined them; some she recognised from the bureau and others she had never seen before, but at last the full compliment of fifteen players were there all warming up in their own way. She was startled the most by Skinner walking towards them from the car park, his gym bag held loosely in one hand.  
  
"Agent Scully."  
  
"AD Skinner...I thought Boxing was your thing?" she jibed as he tore off his sweater and stepped out of his sweat pants.  
  
"As long as there's a game...I'm game."  
  
Mulder stepped away from the crowd and ambled over to them, Scully was surprised by the sheen of sweat that glistened on his face. He poured himself cup of juice from the table next to her and sat down.  
  
"Tired yet?" she asked.  
  
"Wrecked!" he admitted letting his tongue fall out of his mouth to make sure she knew exactly how tired he was. "I didn't realise you were playing today sir?"  
  
"Neither did I until last night. I played last year but Gerry called me last night...making up the numbers I think."  
  
"I see you're number eleven Mulder...what position does that make you?"  
  
"Winger."  
  
"So you wont be in the scrum?"  
  
"No but I'll be in more than a few mauls!"  
  
"Who are we playing?" Skinner asked as he dropped his chest support onto the bench and just pulled on his jersey instead. Scully noticed he had the number 3 on his top but she didn't know what position that would mean he had. She watched as he put his glasses in a case, stuffing it onto his gym bag before sitting on the bench to put in a pair of contacts. She marvelled at the thought of losing one of them in a tackle, but turned back to Mulder who was waving a hand in front of her face to get her attention.  
  
"A team from a construction company in town. They call themselves the DC Dragons."  
  
"The Dragons? So what's your team called?" she asked trying to hide her smile.  
  
"I'm not sure...I heard some one mention Bureau Bulldogs but I dunno if they were joking or not." He fished in his bag for his gum shield when he saw the referee call time for the game to start, so Skinner went over to Gerry and spoke for a few moments.  
  
"Be careful Mulder."  
  
He winked at her as he put in his gum shield, offering her a gruesome smile when he had it fitted and finished his drink before running onto the pitch with the rest of the team. Quite a crowd had gathered so Scully stepped off the bench and walked over to the sideline. She spotted Mulder across the pitch stretching his thighs as the player from the opposite side kicked the ball up the pitch towards their try line. Mulder yelled that he was going to catch it but two other players ran under it with him, covering him in case he dropped it or needed to pass it but as it happened, he didn't have enough time.  
  
The ball seemed to only be in his fingers for a second before the forwards from the Dragons knocked him to the ground forcing him to release the ball and all the air in his lungs.  
  
Scully gasped as the referee blew his whistle and all the players climbed off him. He lay still for a moment but then rolled over onto his back and sat up. With help from a teammate he stood up and brushed himself off, tossing the ball to the other team who were rewarded a free kick. He searched the sidelines for Scully and gave her a reassuring nod. Shaking her head she glanced at her watch. Only twelve seconds had passed but already her heart was bouncing. Another seventy-nine minutes to go, she thought with a sigh and briefly wondered if she could stay for the whole game.  
  
Mulder chased the play along with his team mates, running on the edge of the pitch making dummy runs into mauls and passing the ball to free team mates but they still couldn't seem to score. The Dragons captain called for a scrum when their play was stopped and Mulder hung back waiting for his chance to run. He caught Gerry's eye and nodded in the direction to his left. As the ball came out of the back of the scrum after they turned the ball over and regained control, Gerry tossed it with all of his might towards Mulder who caught it in the centre of his chest in mid stride and kept running.  
  
His speed carried him through the first tackle, and with one hand out in front of him he palmed off another player dodging a last ditch attempt to grab his feet. But as the try line loomed near from nowhere a large hooker from the Dragons team caught him off guard, tackling him to the ground and following through with a swift punch to the gut.  
  
The Bulldogs yelled for fair play but their protests went unheard so one of them took a swing at the Dragons hooker, hammering his fist off the players face but seemingly having no effect. The hooker looked down at his attacker and smiled before slamming a hard punch onto his chin and knocking the smaller man down. Soon the whole squad was mixed up and Scully couldn't tell who was fighting and who was trying to break it up. Beneath it all she could see Mulder lying on the ground unmoving with Skinner crouched over him beckoning for her to come over.  
  
She grabbed her medikit and raced over to him, pushing her way past all the players who didn't even seem to register her presence as they continued to swing punches over her head.  
  
"Mulder, you ok?" she said as she knelt down beside him. His eyes were open but they were wide with pain and watery with unshed tears of stress.  
  
"Cant breathe..." he mumbled.  
  
She ran her medically trained hands over his chest feeling his ribs and coming in contact with the core of his discomfort when she pushed on two of his lowest ribs. He gasped in agony and rolled away from her touch but it only caused him more pain.  
  
"I think you've broken a rib...the wind's been knocked out of you. Can you sit up?" With some effort he managed to sit up and she pulled his jersey up to his shoulders. "We should get you to a hospital."  
  
"No...just strap it up Scully," he rasped still struggling to get his breath back. From her bag she grabbed the can of anaesthetic spray and covered his side with it. With a little prodding she saw that it was slightly numbed and less painful so she took the strapping out and wrapped it tightly around him. Taping it in place she pulled his support down over the bandage and replaced his jersey.  
  
"This is crazy Mulder."  
  
"Thanks Doc."  
  
He struggled to his feet and she stood by him until the referee told her to either put on a jersey or get off the pitch. She stepped off and over to the bench across from where she was standing before but closer to the action. One member from each team had been sin binned for ten minutes and the Bulldogs had taken a penalty kick gaining a three-point lead to get them onto the scoreboard.  
  
She noticed Mulder was running slower and straying away from the ball and she realised he was giving himself a bit of space to recuperate. But all too soon the action found him and he held the ball against his chest. He ran forward watching Gerry who ran behind and to the left of him. Mulder tossed the ball with a rolling sideways throw to Gerry who caught it only to be tackled by a larger player from the opposite team.  
  
The ball was loose so Mulder scrambled for it; clutching it tightly against him he went down under the pressure of two other players. Curling up into the foetal position with the ball in his lap, he managed to roll his back to the attackers as they stamped down hard and fast trying to get him to release the ball in their direction, but he passed the ball out to one of his team-mates getting a few stamps on his arms for his troubles.  
  
Scully held her breath as the players followed the ball and climbed off of Mulder, letting him get up and stagger to his feet. He rubbed a spot on the side of his head and looked down at his hands. She saw him rub his palm on his shorts and was sure he was bleeding but there was nothing she could do to stop him playing.  
  
He found the play and ran up the sideline watching as the ball progressed in his direction. The hard slapping from the tackles as players went down did nothing to stop his run and soon he was running behind Gerry who had the ball in his arms. Gerry reached the try line, slid to the ground to touch the ball down, but the Dragon team had all but boarded it up leaving Gerry mere inches away from scoring. Skinner ran over and bent over Gerry with his legs spread out and his head tucked into Gerry's lap. Mulder crouched behind Skinner and waited to grab the ball as it was released. He glanced to his left and saw Rob, the small scrum half racing over who pushed Mulder aside and grabbed the ball. Rob tossed the ball to another Bulldog that jumped for the try line only to be stopped again.  
  
This time three then four then five, six, seven men piled behind the fallen player who was still holding the ball. They pushed him forward and slowly they inched over the line, the pile up of bodies making it hard for the referee to see but as they moved away he blew his whistle and held his arm out awarding the score.  
  
Scully cheered with the other spectators as the Bulldogs regrouped at the other end of the field and the number 10 player lined up his shot for the conversion. The kick was easy and they gained another two points bringing the score to nine nil at the end of the second half.  
  
She crossed the field to the team where they stood eating orange segments and slurping juice. Scully looked for Mulder but he was sitting behind the bench stretching his legs getting ready for the next half.  
  
"How are you feeling?" She crouched down beside him and patted his thigh.  
  
"Feeling...nothing...I feel no pain." His bad Arnold Swartzeneggar accent only showed her how much pain he was really in.  
  
"That bad?"  
  
"Agent Scully?" She looked up to see Gerry standing over her, a deep wound on his forehead pouring blood over his face and onto his eye.  
  
"Oh, that looks like it hurts."  
  
"More than you'd like to know. I couldn't help but notice that you had a medikit."  
  
"Sit down let me take a look."  
  
Mulder lay down on his back and poured a bottle of water over his face as Scully rummaged in her kit for the necessary equipment. Gerry was sitting still holding his head up to her at an awkward angle to give her the best access to his forehead. The cut was deep and stretched from his eyebrow to his hairline. She dabbed it with a towel only prompting more blood to flow, so she pressed it against the wound and told him to hold it tight. From her bag she retrieved some gauze and soaked it in antiseptic alcohol. Removing the towel, she pressed the clean gauze against it making him wince.  
  
"This will need some stitches."  
  
"I don't suppose you have a sewing kit in that magic bag of yours?" Gerry asked not wanting to leave the game.  
  
"No. But I do have some temporary butterfly patches. They won't last long out on that pitch though."  
  
From his position on the grass Mulder watched as she applied the strips across the wound and covered it with heavy white gauze. Wrapping it around his head she taped it off at the base of his skull. Another player offered Gerry his scrumcap to help him keep the bandage in place, so he slipped it on and tied it under his chin.  
  
Scully turned to Mulder with an incredulous look on her face but as he was seeing her upside-down it had little effect on him. He pushed himself up and struggled to his feet wavering for a moment before standing still.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Just a little shaken." Now that he was standing again she could see the bruising and scrapes on his face from the game.  
  
"Looks like a little more than that to me."  
  
She reached up to his face and gently trailed her fingers over the swelling that was already coming through on his cheek.  
  
"Ahh Scully...did I not mention it hurts like a bitch?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Well consider it mentioned." AD Skinner sauntered over, his jersey dirty and a trail of mud on his cheek but otherwise unharmed.  
  
"Are you up to field agent fitness Agent Mulder?" he said at the sight of the ragged breaths from the younger man.  
  
"Yeah field Agent...but not rugby player." The referee blew the whistle sharply again and he sighed. "Here we go again."  
  
"You seem to have escaped the brunt of the injured list," Scully said looking Skinner up and down. "And I have no idea how those contacts are staying in."  
  
"It's a matter of decision Agent Scully. Deciding when to throw the ball and when to dodge the right tackle. Getting hit hurts, so I try to avoid it."  
  
He tied his scrumcap back on and jogged back to the pitch. He was tall and well built, and she imagined that a lot of the players underestimated his speed and agility, but after his first half performance she thought he would be a better target now.  
  
Whatever the Dragons had been eating over the half time break Scully decided it must have been laced with steroids. They poured onto the pitch screaming and yelling, slapping their chests and dropping shoulders into any player from the Bulldogs who came near. She let her eyes wander over the bulldogs team and she smiled with a shake of her head. FBI Field agents John Wilson and Mark Kingston from VCU, Mulder panting and holding his ribs across the pitch with Gerry and Skinner standing near the centre line. Not the fittest looking lineup.  
  
The ball was kicked high and far and the bulldogs charged after it, tackling the player who caught it and pushing him out of bounds. They gathered quickly seemingly not wanting to waste any time and stood in two parallel lines of six men while the hooker stood at the side line. He held the ball over his head and shouted something she couldn't hear before throwing the ball over both lines.  
  
Scully gasped at the sight of Skinner bending low and hoisting up Gerry, holding him at the bottom of his pelvic bone and his upper thigh. Gerry caught the ball and shoved the Dragons player who had also been lifted, away. Before he landed on the grass, he threw the ball to Rob who made a short dash before letting it fly towards Mulder.  
  
Her breath caught in her chest as he caught the ball and ran with three other Bulldogs up the pitch. The three of them gained at least 30 yards, throwing the ball back and forth and making dummy runs before the Dragons winger grabbed one of them by the waist. Mulder ran over and pressed his shoulder into the stomach of his teammate, keeping him standing and pushing him forward. Soon the Forwards had gathered and Mulder found himself holding the ball, facing backwards and being pushed towards the try line.  
  
Scully could see the strain in his face and she thought of the fractured rib he had and winced. She tried not to think of what might happen if it broke fully and watched the game more closely.  
  
Mulder was pushed further until finally the Dragons took him down, but he released the ball before they could grab it. Skinner picked it up and tossed it to Rob who was waiting by. The ball was thrown almost across the pitch doubling back over players who were running on after being knocked to the ground.  
  
Mulder was running alongside Skinner; one hand on his ribs but both eyes on the ball and wasn't surprised when Skinner turned to him pressing the oval ball into the younger man's stomach as a Dragon player pulled the AD down. Mulder dashed the last five yards over the line with someone hanging off his waist. He landed between the posts with a yell only to have three Dragons land on top of him. Skinner rushed over to congratulate him and slapped his shoulder on one of the few places he could see, but Mulder didn't move. Eventually the other men got off him and Skinner visibly winced at the angle of his Agent's left leg.  
  
"Scully!" he yelled without looking up. He tore off his scrumcap and knelt beside Mulders head but he still hadn't moved lying face down in the mud, his hand still clutching the ball beneath him. Before Skinner could move him, Scully had appeared by his side and was quickly checking Mulder's vitals.  
  
"Call an ambulance," she yelled as she counted his pulse and listened to his chest. "I think he's punctured his left lung...don't move him, wait for the ambulance."

_How could I leave you like this...without confirmation of an update??? GASP! Ah just joshing of course I'll update...soon... muhaa haaa haaa!!! _


	4. FINAL CHAPTER!

_This is a long chapter so you might wanna grab a drink and clear your schedule for a wee while! Take the phone off the hook! ;)_

_Final Chapter..._

The teams stood around him shifting their weight from foot to foot and crossing their bulky arms across broad chests. Soon the ominous wail from the siren could be heard and two EMT's raced across the pitch carrying a stretcher. They looked her partner over while Scully told them what had happened then carefully they pressed the backboard against him and rolled him onto the stretcher. Scully frowned at the blood on his face and saw the dried blood caked around the wound just past his hairline. The skin over his swollen cheek had broken and a trickle of blood escaped from the multiple cuts there. Mulder was carried slowly to the waiting ambulance followed by Scully and Skinner.  
  
"I'm going with him," Scully said to no one in particular and the EMT next to Mulder shoved up to give her room. The other slammed the door shut and Skinner ran back to the pitch. Scully glanced out the window in time to see the Bulldogs kicker slot the ball over the posts for the conversion points. Shaking her head she looked back to Mulder's unmoving body as the EMT slipped an oxygen mask over his mouth.  
  
He drew blood and attached an IV but there was no more time for anything else as they pulled up outside the Doyle Memorial Hospital. They were met by a trauma team who pushed Scully aside and listened to the status of the patient from the EMT.  
  
Mulder was wheeled into the ER and several members of staff surrounded him. A young doctor listened to his chest and yelled for an x-ray.  
  
"Pneumothorax of the left lung...I think it's collapsed."  
  
"You think? C'mon Roger think isn't good enough!" the older doctor by Mulders head yelled back.  
  
"No movement or sounds from the lower lobe."  
  
"Get a tube in there."  
  
Roger turned and took the kit from the tray behind him. With a small incision into Mulder's chest, he fed the sightline in and finally met the resistance of the lung muscle. He inserted the tube and watched for a moment while the lung didn't move. With his stethoscope he listened again and smiled at the sight of his chest moving and his lung inflating.  
  
"Good work Rog, get the x-ray though."  
  
As if on cue, the x-ray machine bounded though the large swing doors. Two radiologists cleared the space around him and placed the machine over his chest. But before they could clear away the doctor ordered leg and head x-rays too.  
  
With Mulders breathing stabilised, they went about cleaning his head wound and strapping his leg into a splint as they waited for the results of the x- ray.  
  
Scully paced the small hall outside the ER anxious to get in to stand by him, comfort him while they poked and prodded him with all the medical instruments within their reach. At the sound of the door squeaking open she whipped around and saw the doctor approaching her tentatively, a folder in his hand.  
  
"Ms. Scully?"  
  
"Yes, how is he?" she stepped over to him but he led her into a small room just off the hallway and switched on the lights for the x-ray's. He slid them into place and Scully could see Mulders lung, the tube in place helping him breath. His headshot was clear of any major trauma but the leg shot showed how much pain he was really in.  
  
His kneecap had been split straight down the middle from top to bottom, a clean break, looking like it had been done with a tool rather than a pair of cleats.  
  
"As you can see from this picture his lung had collapsed, there is still some air in there so we've fixed the tube and we'll leave it in over night. His head although having taken a few bangs has sustained little or no damage."  
  
"Some swelling over the left frontal lobe...I'm a doctor," she added quietly at his strange look.  
  
"But his knee is what is worrying us. The patella has been split completely in two. We will have to operate."  
  
"Replace it?"  
  
"We are hoping to salvage it with metal plates but we won't know exactly how bad it is until we get in there."  
  
"When?"  
  
"Straight away. We need your signature. You're his next of kin?"  
  
"Eh, yeah of course." She followed him out to the front desk where she signed the papers quickly. "May I see him before you take him in."  
  
"Certainly."  
  
In the ER room he was still being attended to, bandages covering his head and nurses cleaning his blood off his face and neck.  
  
"Hey Mulder," she whispered, taking his hand and squeezing it hoping to get a reaction but he gave none. "Hold on Mulder...I'll be here when you get out."  
  
The work around him stopped and they disconnected what they could before pushing him out of the room and up to surgery. Scully walked alongside the bed until they got to the operating room. She kissed her fingers and pressed them to his temple, waiting back as they closed the doors behind them taking him out of her sight.  
  
He'd been in there for an hour when Skinner found her. She was sitting in the waiting room on a large windowsill looking out at the busy roads below.  
  
"How is he?"  
  
"In surgery." She spoke without looking up, her voice distant and low.  
  
"His head?"  
  
"No, his knee." Turning to face him she let her feet dangle over the edge not touching the floor. "His kneecap was split in half. They are going to try to repair it but they might need to replace it."  
  
"Replace it?" Skinner was shocked as he crossed the room and stood before her. "With what?"  
  
"An artificial patella. It's a small bone but very thick and they are going to try to repair it with metal plates first."  
  
"How are you?" he said suddenly a hand reaching out to her shoulder.  
  
"Me?...I'm fine."  
  
The doctor chose that moment to walk in and pulled a surgical mask off his face as he crossed the room. His smile was the first thing Scully noticed and she prayed he wasn't the type of man who walked around smiling, but instead it meant he had good news for her.  
  
"Ms Scully...eh."  
  
"This is Walter Skinner. How is Mulder? How did the surgery go?"  
  
"The patella was split right through. He must have had a previous injury for it to be so weak...otherwise this wouldn't have happened. We salvaged it by attaching two small plates across the cap at the top and bottom." He moved a pen across his own knee showing them exactly what had been done.  
  
"So it won't need to be replaced?" she said with some measure of relief.  
  
"Not if this holds. It could rupture and we'll need to go back in but there's a good chance it wont."  
  
"What sort of recuperation are we looking at?" she asked stepping forward and Skinner noticed she had slipped off her shoes making her seem smaller than usual.  
  
"With the plates holding in place he will be in a hip to ankle cast for eight weeks then the physio would begin. This could vary a week or so but generally it's eight weeks. We'll take x-rays to monitor his progress and make sure the plates are holding."  
  
"And if you need to go back in?" Skinner asked stepping closer to Scully and pressing a hand onto her shoulder.  
  
"We'll replace the patella in a fairly simple routine but the recuperation is a lot longer...a lot tougher. A fixator will be attached to his knee with a hip to ankle cast for six weeks. After it's been removed he'll still need to be in a cast for another six to eight weeks. The physio is harder for this operation but he should still make a full recovery."  
  
"How is his lung?"  
  
"It held out well. The tube will come out in the morning barring any complications."  
  
"When can I see him?"  
  
"He's still in recovery at the moment but as soon as he's been transferred to his room I'll send one of the nurses to get you."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
The surgeon smiled again and walked out of the room. Skinners arm around her shoulder tightened and she took a few deep breaths. They ambled down to the canteen and got cups of treacle coffee before returning to the waiting room. They hadn't reclaimed their seats when a nurse knocked softly on the door.  
  
"Ms. Scully, you can see him now if you want." Scully shot up and followed the nurse out of the door to the private room by the nurse's station. "He's still unconscious but we're expecting him to wake up any minute. I thought it would be nice if he saw a friendly face."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Scully approached him slowly almost creeping across the room. Taking his hand she bent over him and pressed a soft kiss to his temple. A large white bandage covered the wound on his head and his leg sat in plaster under the sheets, a frame holding them away from him.  
  
"Hey Mulder, this is taking it a bit far don't you think?"  
  
In his mouth, the large respirator tube sank down into his throat and Scully knew it was painful but helping. She ran her hand over his face, which was bruised and scraped, from the game, his cheek swollen even more then before. She squeezed his hand and was delighted to feel a small squeeze back.  
  
"Mulder? Can you hear me?"  
  
With some effort his blinking slowed down and he managed to hold his mouth open. Scully immediately pressed the call button and placed a firm but gentle hand onto his chest to stop him from moving. He struggled to breath around the respirator tube and coughed, panicky when he couldn't get a breath.  
  
"Don't fight it Mulder, we'll get it out in a minute...look at me, listen to my voice." She turned his head to face her the panic in his eyes searching her as tears fell from the sides and rolled down to his ears. "It's okay...it's coming out now."  
  
Two nurses rushed in and one of them fiddled with the breathing apparatus while the other removed the tape from the tube around his mouth.  
  
"Hold on Mr. Mulder."  
  
Mulder hardly acknowledged her, staring only at Scully as she held his hand and rubbed his chest. She smiled at him reassuringly but the panic in his eyes only increased as the tube moved.  
  
"Ok Mr. Mulder...I want you to cough; cough and exhale really hard and we'll have this out in a minute."  
  
Scully squeezed his hand and breathed in time with him, pressing her palm against his chest as the nurse pulled the long thick tube out. Mulder coughed and wheezed against the unnatural feeling of pressure that engulfed his throat.  
  
"All done Mr. Mulder, all done," the nurse said as she got rid of the tube in a bin behind her.  
  
They measured his vitals again and soon left the room. Scully sat on the edge of the bed still holding his hand and stroking the side of his face gently.  
  
"Hey," he rasped. She poured a glass of water and held it up for him to sip.  
  
"Hey. How do you feel?"  
  
"Beat up."  
  
"Well you're not wrong there."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You scored."  
  
"I did?" A smile crossed his chapped lips.  
  
"But then you passed out."  
  
"I did."  
  
"Your knee Mulder. You broke your kneecap." A frown tainted his features and she imagined it was a painful expression as it tightened the skin around his wound. "They operated and fixed plates to it."  
  
"To my knee?" He was about to sit up to take a look but the pain in his head forced him back down against the pillows. "What does that mean?"  
  
"It means if it holds out you'll be in a cast for six weeks then have to go through physio to get it up to 100%."  
  
"If it holds out?"  
  
"Well it was a complete split. If it doesn't hold out you'll need another operation to replace it with an artificial patella."  
  
The severity of his injury seemed to hit home at her words and his face was filled with fear and worry.  
  
"You got a bang on your head and Pneumothorax in your left lung so you will be in here for a week or so." Her hand still holding his rubbed small circles into his palm but he didn't seem to notice, his head swimming with knees and injuries and operations and everything else he'd have to endure before getting back on his feet, both literally and proverbially. He smiled at his own bad sense of humour and Scully looked up to him.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I can't believe this happened." He let out a chest chuckle that turned into a cough so she helped him take another drink.  
  
"I know but it has so all you need to do is concentrate on getting better."  
  
"I'm glad you're not the type of person who likes to say I told you so."  
  
"So am I Mulder."  
  
A soft knock on the door drew their attention and they both turned to see Skinner stepping in. He crossed the room with an agility that belied his size, and stood at the bottom of Mulder's bed.  
  
"How are you holding up Mulder?"  
  
"A bit of a shock but my doc here tells me it should all be fine...given time." He glanced up at Scully and smiled before looking back to Skinner. "How did the game go?"  
  
"Bulldogs won by nine points. Your try counted and we got another two after that."  
  
"Good. So it wasn't all in vain then." His voice was dripping with sarcasm and a wicked smile curved his lips, but with swollen and scraped cheeks he couldn't hold the expression for long.  
  
"I better go. I'll see you soon Mulder."  
  
"Good game Skin-man!" Mulder called after him getting rewarded with a blushing smile from his boss before he closed the door behind him. Scully looked down at him and caught him yawning so she stood off the bed and turned to face him fully.  
  
"I'm going to go and let you get some rest. I could do with a change of clothes and a shower."  
  
"Okay. Thanks for staying with me."  
  
"Anytime."  
  
She squeezed his hand and left the room. After she shut the door, Mulder lifted up his sheet and glanced at his leg. The plaster from the cast was still damp and stuck to his skin but he stared at his toes and tried to wiggle them. Nothing moved. With a sigh he dropped the sheet over the frame again only to be surprised by the sight of a nurse standing by his bed.  
  
"Sorry I didn't mean to frighten you."  
  
"That's okay...I eh, I can't move my toes."  
  
"Well you've just had knee surgery. It'll be a few days before the feeling comes back. and when it does..."  
  
"...I'll wish it didn't," he finished for her.  
  
"Something like that. So you're a rugby player?"  
  
"No I'm an FBI Agent." He held out his arm for her to measure his blood pressure.  
  
"Oh your wife said you were playing rugby."  
  
"I was, but not professionally." He couldn't help the smile from her remark wondering why Scully hadn't corrected the assumption on their marital status.  
  
"I see." She jotted down her findings in the chart and smiled at him again. "Are you in any pain Mr Mulder?"  
  
"Not at the moment."  
  
"Well just holler if you need anything. No point in suffering in silence."  
  
"Yeah, I will." Mulder let his head rest back onto the pillow and closed his eyes. A dull throb emanated from his leg but it was a comforting pain letting him know his leg was there, still attached...just a little damaged. His hand went down to his other leg and he pressed his palm to his thigh. He took comfort from the flexing muscle under his hand and soon rolled into a fitful sleep.  
  
**Arlington Apartment #42 **

**28th July 2001 4.15PM**  
  
Scully pushed the door open and walked in. The key was jammed in the lock and when she managed to force it out, her elbow flew back hitting him in the chest. Mulder yelped and stumbled back on his crutches, catching himself against the doorframe before he fell or put any weight on his leg.  
  
"Oh god, I'm sorry!" her hand covered her mouth disguising a small smile, but Mulder pushed himself off the frame and went past her into the living room. He dropped onto the couch with a heavy whoosh, his leg sticking out in front. With both hands under his knee, he lifted it onto the table and carefully sat back afraid to jostle it.  
  
Scully shut the door and walked in with his bag. She dropped it into the bedroom and came back to his side where she put a cushion under his foot.  
  
"How are you feeling?"  
  
"A little winded after that elbow to the chest but ok otherwise."  
  
His face had all but returned to normal except for the scraped lines on his cheek and the blue thread stitching peering out by his hairline. The wound had been left open and the stitches would dissolve so his only worry was his knee.  
  
"The surgeon said you should keep it elevated. Wouldn't you rather go to bed? Lie down?"  
  
"Scully I just spent the last 10 days in the hospital...lying down...I want to sit up, I want to watch TV, I want to get through one hour without anyone taking my blood pressure or drawing blood or asking for x-rays or asking how I'm feeling!"  
  
"Okay, okay."  
  
She walked into the kitchen and he immediately regretted his outburst. But when she came back with a glass of water for him he smiled at her and she couldn't help but return it.  
  
"I don't suppose you'd pass me the remote?" he asked sheepishly.  
  
"Are you sure you want to stay here? Why don't you come back to my place?"  
  
"No Scully I'm fine. A bit of time on my own will be good."  
  
"I'm going to my mom's this evening but I should be back at ten-ish. I'll call in on my way home."  
  
"Scully I'll be fine, you don't need to."  
  
"I'll call in." she passed him the phone and the remote and walked to his bathroom making sure the path was clear for him. She'd already been by during the week and changed his sheets and cleaned up a bit. "There are some sandwiches in the fridge and a flask of juice."  
  
"Thanks Scully."  
  
"I'll see you later."  
  
She left in a hurry before she could change her mind and talk him into staying at her place. It was warm out and it made for a pleasant drive to her mother's house, while Mulder found it stuffy and stale in his apartment. He thought of going to the window to let in some fresh air but thought better of it at the sight of the PC and phone cables adorning the floor. With his remote he flicked through the endless cycles of channels, stopping only when something caught his eye but generally continuously flicking.  
  
On the Sci-Fi Channel he saw that they were playing all four Planet of The Apes Movies and the first one was only about half way through.  
  
"Get your filthy paws off me you ape!" he parroted with Charlton Heston, smiling as he snuggled deeper into the couch and settled in to watch them. The day passed relatively quickly with one trip to the bathroom and two trips to the kitchen. The flask Scully had left in the kitchen had a loop on it so he could carry it around his neck. He smiled at her thoughtfulness and regretted, not for the first time, not taking her up on the offer to stay at her place.  
  
He suddenly realised that the room had fallen dark around him, the eerie glow of the television casting a dull shine on his living room. Glancing at the clock he saw it was half past eight and as if his stomach could tell time it rumbled loudly and uncomfortably. He'd already eaten the sandwiches shortly after she left and he knew he wouldn't be able to cook anything.  
  
With a smile Mulder realised even without the crutches he probably wouldn't be able to cook anything. Stretching out, he managed to get a take-out menu from the table in front of him. Flipping through the pages he couldn't decide on anything to eat, his mind reeled with ideas of what he'd really like to eat and pizza wasn't one of them. But conceding to the state he was in, he called up and ordered a large New Yorker and a coke. It would be another forty minutes before it got here and after thirty of those minutes had passed Mulder started to get up. He was standing wobbly in the middle of his living room reaching for his crutches when there was a knock at the door.  
  
"Coming!" he yelled as he crouched over and picked it up off the floor. He hobbled over to the door and it took him another five minutes to open it and get out of the way to swing it open. The deliveryman on the other side was surprised at the injured man who answered.  
  
"$14.97," he said holding out the box and bottle of coke to Mulder. Mulder looked up at him with a grimace and looked down to the crutches.  
  
"Could you leave it on the table?"  
  
The young man carefully side stepped him and dropped it hastily on the table rushing back to the door to collect the money.  
  
"$14.97," he said again.  
  
"There ya go."  
  
Mulder handed him $15 and left him with the three cents. He closed the door and headed carefully over to the table. Looking down at his cast and at the table, he decided he wouldn't be comfortable sitting there so he glanced up at the couch. A room that once seemed cramped with a table and chairs now seemed to have a vast expanse looming over it. The distance would be too far to hop and besides, the jarring motion of the leaping shot pain up his leg to the core of his being where it burned with knowing justice. Balancing on the chair, Mulder tossed the crutches over to the couch. They hit the leather material and slid to the floor with a loud clatter.  
  
For a moment he didn't move, not sure what he was about to do next but then he managed to sit himself into the chair, change his hand hold and slide to the floor, all without hitting his leg on anything. Smiling smugly, he felt a wave of pride wash over him at his small accomplishment only to realise he couldn't reach his food anymore.  
  
Hoisting himself back onto the chair he got the pizza and coke and put them carefully onto the floor before joining them. He hooked his good foot under his bad leg at the ankle, and lifted it off the ground to offer it that last piece of protection. The pizza box he balanced on his lap and the bottle of coke he rolled over to the couch. He realised he wouldn't be able to open it for a while without spraying the room but it was a small price to pay.  
  
With his hands on the floor and his legs hovering mere inches off the ground he slowly made his way across the floor on his ass; the short journey taking longer than he expected. He reached the coffee table and put the food on it. He found sweat pooling on his back, dampening his shirt and his face covered in a fine sheen.  
  
Taking a few deep breaths, he settled his back against the couch, grabbing a cushion for his leg he settled down, resting a moment more before opening the food. The cheese was piping hit and a lot of the ingredients had rolled about when he'd dragged it across the floor. But it smelled so good he didn't mind. Pulling out a slice he loosened it from the rest of the pie and held it up. The narrow end was folded back and he bit it off revelling in the sweet taste of anything other than hospital rations, until the searing hot pain hit his leg. He yelped and looked down only to see the rest of the topping had slid off the slice and was currently pooling against his leg on his upper thigh.  
  
He pulled it off quickly and dropped it onto the open box sucking his fingers to soothe the burn from the hot food. Looking down at his leg he sighed at the red mark the hot food had left and he was all but ready to cry. He winced at the stinging pain he could feel in his thigh and pulled at the wet material of his sweats to get it off his skin but it was no use. He would have to take them off he decided, and thinking of the effort at getting them on this morning he didn't relish the idea.  
  
Moving the pizza away, he lifted his butt off the floor and carefully inched the sweats down to his thighs. Managing to keep his boxers up he rested for a minute before getting them down his legs. Bending his good leg up to his chest he freed it, managing to pull his sweats down his cast by dragging it with his good foot. Relief came then with the cool air washing over his bared legs and he sighed loudly dropping his head onto the couch.  
  
Carefully he managed to eat the rest of his pizza with the roof of his mouth only getting second-degree burns. He wanted to get back onto the couch, stop the carpet from scratching his legs but his energy was gone so he lay where he was.  
  
And that was where she found him. Slowly she opened the front door, trying to be quiet in case he was sleeping but was surprised and a tad alarmed to see him sprawled out on the floor by his couch. His head was lying back and facing the window and for a moment she thought he had fallen until she spotted the bottle of coke and the empty pizza box. His sweats piled up by his feet she couldn't explain, but she walked in and left her bag on the table. He stirred at the presence in the room and rolled his head around lazily to look at her.  
  
"Scully?" Confusion soaked through his voice but he rubbed his eyes to get a better picture. She sat on the couch beside him and leaned forward, lowering her head to his.  
  
"What are you doing on the floor Mulder?"  
  
"I had to get down to carry my dinner over here."  
  
"Ok. But why are your pants off?" Glancing down he blushed at the picture he presented.  
  
"I spilled melted cheese on them and it was burning my leg...so I took them off."  
  
She looked down to the red patch on his upper thigh and suppressed her smile. Walking into the kitchen she dampened the corner of a towel with cold water and brought it in to him.  
  
"It probably won't do much good now but it couldn't hurt." He took the towel and pressed it to his still aching leg. Grimacing he pressed it harder and looked up at her smiling face.  
  
"I'm glad I could make you smile Scully."  
  
"Sorry Mulder but just the thought of you dragging yourself across the floor..."  
  
"Yeah yeah...so how is your Mom?"  
  
"She's fine. She sends her love and well wishes."  
  
"With all these well wishes I should be right as rain in no time."  
  
"Will you come and stay at my place Mulder, please? "  
  
"I'm fine here Scully."  
  
"Okay well why haven't you gotton back onto the couch yet? Or got a clean pair of sweats? Or water for he burn?"  
  
"Scully-"  
  
"No Mulder no excuses. You're in no shape to look after yourself and the sooner you swallow that damned pride of yours and realise it the better."  
  
He had the grace to look a little admonished as she stood up and cleared away his mess from dinner. He knew she was right but he couldn't crawl to her place to lick his wounds every time he was hurt. Still, it wasn't often he was this hurt. He watched as she moved about the room picking up his sweats before disappearing into his bedroom to get him a fresh pair.  
  
"Okay Scully," he said as she approached him again. "Okay I'll stay on one condition."  
  
"Mulder it's an offer. An offer to help you relax and recuperate in comfort. It's not a sentence. Stay here if you want."  
  
Dammit she was hurt. Hurt by his simple brush off and all he had to do was admit he needed her.  
  
"Scully I'm sorry. I do want to go stay with you, I just don't want to impose."  
  
"If it were an imposition I wouldn't have made the offer." Her voice softened and she smiled as she sat on the couch. He let his head fall against her knee and smiled.  
  
"Yeah you would."  
  
"I know." She laughed with him and stood again. "But it's not an imposition." She helped him get his pants on.  
  
"Okay, lets go then. This room is starting to stink."  
  
"Yeah..._the room_..." she went to his room and packed some belongings for him.  
  
"Are you implying I stink Agent Scully?" he said when she handed him his crutches and helped him up.  
  
"Friends tell friends when they smell."  
  
"Well maybe that bed bath is long overdue."  
  
"Maybe Mulder. But I reckon you'll be stinking for a while to come if we're going to depend on me giving you a bed-bath."  
  
"Are you reneging on your offer?"  
  
"I never offered, if I recall correctly."  
  
She locked the door behind them and they slowly made their way down to the lift. Waiting for it, he leaned against the wall and looked down at her with a lazy smile.  
  
"Your offer, my offer, does it really matter?"  
  
"Depends on the offer." She let him into the elevator first and stepped in after him, hitting the button for the ground floor with her palm.  
  
"Are you making an offer now?"  
  
He was standing behind her but he leaned forward and curled his head over her shoulder and whispered into her ear.  
  
"Mulder, you're not fit enough to take up any offers."  
  
"Aww Scully you wouldn't do that to an injured man, I'm not stable enough to take rejection." he said huskily.  
  
She ignored his bait and held the elevator door open for him to step out. It took some manoeuvring to get him into the car without hurting his leg, but finally they managed it and after the drive struggled all over again to get him out.  
  
They bundled into her apartment and he made a direct line for her couch. He collapsed with a soft moan that he hoped she didn't hear but she was by his side in seconds, a comforting a hand on his chest.  
  
"You ok?"  
  
"Yeah. Trip took a lot out of me."  
  
"You look exhausted," she let her hands play through his hair and he leaned into her touch. "I'll make us some tea and you can rest. We'll just have a quiet evening together, watch a movie or something if you like."  
  
"Hey that sounds great...but please no rough sports movies, I'd be happy to watch whatever girlie movie you have instead."  
  
"Even Steel Magnolias?" Mulder pursed his lips and stuck out his bottom lip.  
  
"Yeah, even that one."  
  
Scully went to go into the kitchen but something made her turn around. Mulder was looking at her with a doe eyed expression. He looked adorable.  
  
"Scully, I'm glad I came, really. And thanks for being there for me. I guess I should have left my male bravado on the rugby field huh."  
  
"You're welcome, and yes you should have. But I'll always be on the sidelines watching your back. Always."  
  
"I know." His words were low and she wasn't sure if they were meant for her ears but it was an honest statement she couldn't ignore. Walking back to him she crouched by his head and gently touched his cheek.  
  
"And you're watching mine."  
  
"You know it Scully. The next time you get injured for no good reason but to impress the women-folk you can always recuperate at my place."  
  
"Thanks." She patted his cheek as she stood to get the promised tea. It was good to be here together. She could have easily lost him playing a silly testosterone fuelled game and not even in the line of FBI duty this time.  
  
"So what did we decide on the bed-bath situation?" She didn't answer until she returned with their drinks and gave him a kilowatt packed smile full of promise, but by the time she came out again, Mulder was fast asleep.  
  
Carefully she fetched a throw from her linen closet and stretched it over his sleeping form. "Sweet dreams." She whispered as she kissed her fingers and gently laid them on his cheek.  
  
**The end. **

**© Skinfull 2004**  
  
_Thanks Lisa. That one was for you and your ability to keep me sane, well relatively so anyway!_


End file.
